surround

1 of 2

verb

sur·​round sə-ˈrau̇nd 

surrounded; surrounding; surrounds

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to enclose on all sides : envelop

the crowd surrounded her

(2)

: to enclose so as to cut off communication or retreat : invest entry 2

b

: to form or be a member of the entourage of

flatterers who surround the king

c

: to constitute part of the environment of

surrounded by poverty

d

: to extend around the margin or edge of : encircle

a wall surrounds the old city

2

: to cause to be surrounded by something

surrounded himself with friends

surround

2 of 2

noun

: something (such as a border or ambient environment) that surrounds

from urban centre to rural surround

—Emrys Jones

Synonyms

Verb

• encircle
• encompass
• circle
• embrace
• ring
• enclose

Noun

• surroundings
• environment
• atmosphere
• environs
• climate
• context

Examples of surround in a Sentence

Verb

A wall surrounds the old city.

They had the suspect surrounded.

She was suddenly surrounded by a crowd of excited fans.

There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the decision.

His departure was surrounded by secrecy.

Noun

the vast, featureless surround of the desert was strangely appealing to him

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Prior controversy surrounding its usage can largely be traced back to a 2002 study, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), the results of which have largely been refuted. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 15 Sep. 2025

Note the rose gold surrounds of the analog-style gauges. —Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025

Noun

Grosvenor over a career spanning six decades created art that investigated the spatial relationship between the viewer, the work, and its surrounds. —News Desk, Artforum, 11 Sep. 2025

Other highlights include a garden-view living room warmed by a large fireplace with a stone surround and a formal dining room that opens on both sides to verandas ideal for alfresco entertaining. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 8 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, to flood, inundate, from Anglo-French surunder, from Late Latin superundare, to overflow, from Latin super- + unda wave; influenced in meaning by round entry 5 — more at water

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun

1893, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing surround

• surround oneself with (someone or something)
• surround sound

Rhymes for surround

• abound
• aground
• around
• astound
• background
• campground
• clothbound
• confound
• earthbound
• eastbound
• expound
• fairground

Kids Definition

surround

1 of 2 verb

sur·​round sə-ˈrau̇nd 

: to enclose on all sides : encircle

surround

2 of 2 noun

: something (as a border) that surrounds